Please help us to change the Legislated Prohibition of Sunday hunting in the Great State of PA.

Currently Senate Bill #1202 is IN COMMITTEE in the PA Senate Fish and Game Committee. A Republican Senator from a Rural area of PA, Patrick J. Stefano, is a major roadblock to this bill getting out of Committee and presented to the General Assembly for a Vote. If passed it would allow our PA Game Commission to consider allowing Big Game and Small Game Hunting on Sunday.

Regardless of your state of residency, if you are a Member of the NRA. You could help us in PA by expressing your interest in allowing Sunday Hunting in PA to the NRA-ILA . https://www.nraila.org/contact-nra-ila/

Why should the NRA care about Sunday Hunting in PA?? As you may be Aware, NRA President Oliver North has charged current members with recruiting as many new NRA members as possible. How many of you had your first firearm experience due to hunting. In PA hunting license sales are down and hunter recruitment is down. A major factor in this downward trend is a lack of time able to hunt. Allowing Sunday Hunting could help increase license sales and hunter recruitment and thusly increase recruitment for NRA Membership. As hunters, we all know the importance that we make to the economy as well as to conservation efforts.

Please go to the NRA link and consider sending a message that might possibly read something along the lines of: "What is the NRA-ILA doing to support Pennsylvania Senate Bill No. 1202? Which would remove the Prohibition on Sunday Hunting in PA. This Bill is Sponsored by PA Senator Daniel Laughlin. It is currently in the PA Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. This Committee is Chaired by Republican Senator Patrick J. Stefano. He seems to be the major roadblock to getting this bill out of Committee and presented to the General assembly. The NRA is in favor of expanding opportunities to hunt and increase hunter recruitment and in favor of Sunday Hunting in PA. Please inform PA State Senator Patrick J. Stefano of the NRA's position on Sunday Hunting and encourage him to help PA hunters expand Hunting opportunities and increase hunter recruitment by supporting PA Senate Bill 1202."

If anyone would like to contact The major RoadBlock/Obstacle to lifting the PA Prohibition on Hunting. That would be great also. Maybe you could explain to him the economic benefit to Sunday Hunting or how you would consider coming to PA to spend your hunter dollars if PA had Sunday Hunting. Senator Patrick Stefano pstefano@pa.sen.gov Senate Box 203032 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3032 Room: 169 Main Capitol (717) 787-7175

When we fought for it (and won) in 2014 we also faced the Farm Bureau, but they backed out quickly. Here were some of our main talking points:

1. Hunting on Sunday allows families to hunt together because frequently kids have softball/baseball/soccer on Saturdays.

2. Hunting on Sundays isn't required, hunters who are opposed don't have to hunt on Sunday. It is truly disappointing how many hunters were opposed to hunting on Sunday in 2014; that has changed considerably.

3. It is only allowed on private property now in VA. Sunday hunting was promoted as a "property right", which swung a lot of Republicans to support it. Note that the Democrats in VA supported Sunday hunting much more than the Republicans.

Elkstabber your comments are appreciated and welcome, in PA we have "HUSH" Hunters United for Sunday Hunting and we are spreading all the info we can. We got a Bill introduced and co- Sponsored. It has Bi- Partisain support and the Gov. a Dem is aware and is willing to sign it. The Bill is IN committee. We need a specific Chair of the Committee to move it forward. This is PA Republican Senator Patrick J. Stefano. He is an obstacle and must be persuaded to change his stance.

Hope you have success. In all your posts both here and on the PA forum you mention a particular Senator and say he’s “opposed” to the change but you never posted his concerns in being against the change? Find out why he and others are opposed.

If you have an understanding of his concerns you may be able to address them. If you don’t it will not happen.

Spent my first 40 years in PA and that always sucked. In your early hunting years, you are either going to school full-time or working full-time. One rained out Saturday could mean you missed the rut (plus bow season ended when small game opened during 1st week of Nov! The solution? Ohio border was only 25 miles away.

Who remembers the Blue Laws where the stores and malls were not open on Sunday for shopping? Solution? Go to Ohio where the malls were open. Did not take the politicians long to wake up and fix that loss of revenue going over the border.

Jingalls thanks for your help. We really need pressure from ALL sides.

Tooth...we know that we are running out of days in this year's legislative session. We have our sights set on 2019. However, we are hoping to harness some of the political energy that surrounds this years mid-terms and make it an issue for elected representatives. For us hunters it is about our passion...but we are trying to get the word out to non-hunters about how Conservation in the state is funded and how dwindling license sales and hunter numbers hurts everyone that enjoys the outdoors in PA. We are also pushing the economic value to the rural areas that would certainly benefit from Sunday Hunting.

Good news that you know his objection. Now it’s your job to motivate the PA Farm Bureau to see the light/benefits in Sunday hunting and he will come around. Negotiation requires finding common ground! If you can do that it may happen. Good luck!

For those that are interested in this cause I am a member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and they have been making Sunday hunting in PA a priority for the local chapter. Personally other than a member I have not participated in the Sunday hunting push. This organization has been growing rapidly and so far for me seems like one worth contributing to much like RMEF.

Thanks for the suggestions. The compromises with the farm bureau are in the bill. The Senator that introduced the bill as well as the Spokesperson of HUSH have addressed the common ground issues. Everyone benefits from better/heavier trespassing penalties. The farmers benefit from hunters helping to control deer numbers and reduce crop damage. When all the benefits of allowing Sunday Hunting are laid out on the table it is difficult to see how anyone could possibly oppose this. It is frustrating that this Bill has BIPartisan support (so rare these days), Bill#1202 was introduced by a Republican, Co-Sponsored by two Democrats from OPPOSITE sides of the State (Pittsburgh and Philly), Supported by a Democrat Governor. Supported by the PA Game Commission, the NRA and every other Hunting/Conservation group you can think of, yet This Bill could not move out of Committee to be presented to the General Assembly because The Chair of the Senate Fish and Game Committee is a roadblock. My hope is that in addition to all the compromises that can occur do occur, but there is also a time to turn up the heat and put as much political pressure on a Representative as possible.

The Farm Bureau in VA was opposed to Sunday hunting because they said that the farmers wanted "peace and quiet" on Sundays. They stated that the animals should be given a day of rest. At the same time VA's Farm Bureau wanted to expand the "kill permit" program, stating that there were too many deer and that the deer were eating into the farmers' profits.

Since their two statements contradicted each other (meaning that Sunday hunting would reduce the deer population) the VA Farm Bureau backed down. If they had pushed further they would have been revealed as idiots.

Also, the Farm Bureau has stated over and over that they are supporters of property rights (which only makes sense). So when the bill for Sunday hunting on private property was introduced we spun it as a property rights issue. This further shut up the Farm Bureau and it turned some Republicans our way also (who were mostly opposed).

Lastly, the NRA keeps a "report card" for every voting politician which is generally used to show how much the politicians support gun ownership rights. But in VA the NRA also counted how the politicians voted on Sunday hunting. This also encouraged the Republicans to vote in favor of Sunday hunting.

Even with all of this we barely got Sunday hunting on private property passed in 2014.

It is truly disappointing to me that in both VA and PA (and probably other states) it is the Republicans that are the roadblock to hunting on Sundays.

Thank You Elkstabber. I am writing a letter to the PA Farm Bureau asking them to explain why they oppose PA Senate Bill#1202 and why the oppose Sunday Hunting.

I am asking all Hunters that are willing to contact the NRA-ILA to ask them to look into the Bill and through their full support to the bill and Specifically speak to our PA Senators to explain the NRA's position on Sunday Hunting.

Because of the Blue laws for years this has been the reason. NJ passed it years ago due to greed. Hope Pa. don't get like them where you have to get a permit to pee in the bush.LOL Kidding but NJ is insane with greed on tags and permits.

They don't want bothered by hunters on Sunday. Utter BS. This is the same group that complains about excessive crop damage. They can't have it both ways. It is a trashing of personal property rights for no reason at all. We are talking about a few days/year. They have a remedy. Post their damn property - No Sunday Hunting permitted. PA has CWD and I strongly suspect that in the future, there is going to be a call for increasing our deer harvests. We have started to see that with increased anterless allocations in certain areas. The politicians need to earn their money for once and EDUCATE the farm bureau. It is time for Pennsylvania to move into this century. My 2 cents.

You could all help us in PA by Contacting the NRA-ILA and asking that they Support PA Senate bill #1202 currently residing in the PA Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. Chained by Senator Patrick J. Stefano. Easy just click on the link above.

November 8, 2018 Dear Curtis: Thank you for your recent message regarding Sunday hunting which would repeal Section 2303 of Title 34 of the Game and Wildlife Code to allow limited hunting on Sundays on State Game Lands. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents regarding their thoughts on important pieces of legislation before the Senate. This bill would have allowed two Sundays during the combined antler and antlerless deer seasons for hunting white-tailed deer on State Game Lands and another Sunday during the statewide black bear season for hunting black bear on State Game Lands.

Senate Bill 1081 was introduced and referred to the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee on March 20, 2018. However, this bill never made it out of committee. Because the bill was not approved by the House and Senate before the end of the Session year, it will have to be reintroduced during next year’s Session.

As a strong supporter of the Pennsylvania’s hunting traditions and second amendment rights, I have listened to many constituents voice their concerns both for and against this bill. Should we consider these bills in the full Senate, I appreciate knowing your position.

I will review this piece of legislation carefully and take into consideration the opinions of constituents such as yourself before I make a final decision. As Chairman of the Game and Fisheries committee, I intend to hold a series of public hearings on this issue and bring groups on both sides of the issue together to discuss how we resolve it once and for all. Again, thank you for taking the time to reach out to me. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again. Sincerely, PAT STEFANO 32nd DISTRICT PS/bkt

P.S. I provide regular updates on legislative activity on Facebook and Twitter. Links to these resources and my email newsletter are available on my website, www.senatorstefano.com.

I grew up in New Jersey in the 50's and 60's and Blue Laws were a reality if you hunted. What always got me was that you couldn't hunt wild game on Sundays, but you could go to a preserve and shoot pen raised birds! WTF?????